Marble Doll
by Tsukisamu Sayako
Summary: They say that love comes from the most unexpected places. Little does Axel know that the love he seeks is hidden within a web of secrets and greed, sealed in a piece of artwork. AU Eventual Axel/Roxas, Zexion/Demyx, Riku/Sora
1. The Doll

**Chapter 1 – The Doll **

* * *

Lord Axel of Dover was a typical young man of nobility. All around genteel, the red-haired man had become the topic of gossip for many young ladies and young men of aristocracy who have yet to wed. Those many gossipers have attempted to catch the eye of the young dashing gentleman, but Lord Axel of Dover was never interested. Not one man or woman at any of the social gatherings he had attended thus far in town had caught his eye.

Tonight was like any other nights.

Axel stood next to a painting of Lord Terra and Lady Aqua, who were the first of the esteemed Berkeley family who owned the house the night's social gathering took place, while he talked amiably to the other men who had attended.

"It is really near high time that you find yourself a mate and get settled down," said a burly brown-haired man as he took a sip from his glass of champagne. "You're reaching the point where you're passing your prime, Axel."

The named young man sighed. "Yes, I know, Lexaeus," he replied amicably. "It's not that I don't want to get married, but I've yet to find the one." Lord Lexaeus of Exeter was an investor in the Australian colonies and had just returned from an Australian expedition only a week prior to this gala. Axel only considered the man a simple acquaintance and certainly not one with whom he would share his concerns of the world with.

"Still looking for your true love, eh?" said an older voice as a black sleek-haired man joined the small group. Sir Xigbar of Winchester had been a military officer and proudly showed his battle scars that culminated with a black eye patch over his right eye.

"Just because you managed to find yours fast, doesn't mean I'd have an easier time," Axel replied.

"I will be cheering for you then," said Lord Demyx of Margate. The sandy blond-haired man was one of Axel's closest friends ever since they met in town four years past at another one of these parties. Lord Demyx of Margatewas said to be an outstanding musician and has performed in front of the King of England. His husband, Sir Zexion of Cambridge, served as one of the King's advisors for his academic expertise.

"I thank you for your vote of confidence, Demyx," Axel said, raising his glass of champagne.

"I hope your optimism is enough for his quest, my dear," said Zexion with an amused smile.

"You know you wish for his best too, dearest," Demyx replied in jest.

"When will you be returning to Dover?" asked Lord Riku of Coventry. Out of Axel's friends and acquaintances, the silver-haired man lived the northernmost. The remaining of his friends all lived in southern England. Yet, despite being a Northerner, Riku was perhaps Axel's closest confidant, having been friends with him since their childhood spent in Cambridge.

"Probably not until next summer," the red-haired man replied. "My father wishes for me to enter the bar association before I return to my manor duties next year."

"Taking the bar exam, eh?" said Xigbar.

"I didn't think you'd be the type for law," said Riku with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not," replied Axel grimly. "It was my mother's idea."

"Good luck with your exam," said Lexaeus. "I heard that Leon had just managed to pass the bar exam."

"Leon from Bristol?" asked Demyx.

"That same one."

"Where is Leon anyway?" asked Riku.

"I believe he's back in Bristol tending to his father."

"Ah yes, Sir Pembroke. He's a kindly old gentleman," said Zexion.

"Yes, he will be missed," said Axel. Demyx frowned at his friend.

"Don't say such pessimistic things, Axel," he said.

"My apologies," the man said. "The gravity of my exam has been bogging down on me."

"Let us pray that your pessimism shall be lifted after you pass the exam," said Xigbar with a grin.

"We can only hope," the Lord of Dover said with a laugh.

"Excuse me," said Riku upon seeing a familiar mop of brown hair. "I see that I have an old friend amongst the crowd." With that remark, he excused himself from the small group and approached his friend. Axel looked at the younger man with interest.

"Who is that?" he asked. "I've never seen him around before."

"That's Lord Sora of Durham," said Zexion with a frown. "He doesn't often make it down to town."

"Durham? That's near Scotland, isn't it?" asked Lexaeus.

"Yes," nodded Demyx.

"How does Riku know him?" Axel inquired.

"They both went to the same boarding school for the past two years in Oxford," answered Zexion.

"I see." Axel turned his attention away from the two teens and supplied the topic for another pointless conversation: that of the colonies in India and Australia.

* * *

Three young men sat around in a dark sitting room illuminated by the cracking fire within the fireplace. A pale moon casted a soft, eerie light upon the trio of men as the tension in the room remained.

"Is he trustworthy?" asked one of the three.

"He is no art collector, but he appreciates them. He will take good care of the statue."

"You better be sure. We're putting a lot of faith in this friend of yours."

"Do not worry. I will be checking in on him every once in a while."

The two speakers turned to the last man who sat stiffly in the room.

"It is your decision."

The last man sighed. "I am to assume that you will leave town?"

The first man frowned grimly. "I do wish to stay in town, but I cannot for the reasons you already know. There must be a way to fix this situation."

"How far is _he_ from town?"

"God willing, he might not know that we're here."

The last man remained silent.

"I promise you this. I will find a way to correct this."

"And I will help you," the second man said. "I have connections with the royal court. Perhaps I can find someone who can help us."

"Very well," the last man sighed again. "Give him the statue."

* * *

"Milord," announced the butler once he has entered the study. "Lord Riku has called. He awaits you in the sitting room."

Axel lifted his eyes from the newspaper he had been perusing and raised an eyebrow at the information. It had not been two days since the gala at the Berkeley manor and Riku was already calling?

"Thank you," the red-haired man said as he put down his newspaper. He stood up and went down to the sitting room.

Upon entering the cozy room wallpapered with flowers, carpeted with red, and furnished with velvet couches, Axel was surprised to see not only the silver-haired teen in the room. Sitting upon one of the many couches with his back facing the door was a spiky-haired teen. The man had no doubt that it was the same man who he saw at the gala.

Riku turned away from the window to face Axel and smiled as he approached him.

"Axel, I apologize for my sudden visit," the Lord of Coventry said.

"You're more than welcome to call upon me, my friend. I will admit that I had been rather surprised by this visit."

"Well, I wish for you to meet one of my dearest friends," he gestured toward the brown-haired man who stood up to show respect to the owner of the house. "Axel, this is Lord Sora of Durham."

The red-haired man shook Sora's hand firmly. "Ah yes, I heard about you from my friends. They say you don't make it down to town often?"

Sora winced slightly. "Not as often as I'd like. My duties have not allowed me to leave Durham for leisure."

"I see, please sit," the host gestured to the couches as a maid brought in a silver tray with tea and cucumber sandwiches.

"If I may inquire, for what reason am I honored with such a visit?" Axel asked as he leaned back in his chair with a cup of tea in his hands.

His guests looked at each other with slight solemnity before Sora turned to face him. "I shall be frank. I have to return to Durham tonight to deal with more business there. However, I have a piece of work that I would like to have you safeguard for me."

"Artwork?" the man raised an eyebrow.

"It's a statue recently chiseled out of marble. I would feel safer if the statue was in a house with occupants. My own home in town will be vacated by the end of the week to be sold to Lady Tifa."

"I regret to hear that," Axel frowned. "Does that mean you will not return to town in the future?"

"I will still return upon the completion of my business in Durham, if not only for the statue."

"You cannot take it with you?"

"My baggage does not allow me to carry such cumbersome things."

"And Riku can't take care of it?"

The said-man laughed. "Axel, you know as well as I do that I am no caretaker of artwork. I've seen the statue. I believe you will find it a brilliant piece of work."

"I see. I shall safeguard the statue as you have requested of me. I do request that you make your presence in town more often," Axel smiled. Sora laughed bubbly.

"Perhaps once I have settled all of my businesses in Durham."

"Shall we show you the statue? It should have been moved into the foyer by now," suggested Riku.

"Sure," said the red-haired man before putting down his cup of tea and following his friends out into the foyer. Two men were moving a cloth covered statue into the room before setting it down on the ground. Axel could see that the statue was life-sized and appeared to be of his height. One man undid the rope that secured the cloth to the statue at Sora's behest then revealed the statue.

The Lord of Dover widened his green eyes and gaped at the sight. Standing on a pedestal was the statue of a teenage boy with spiky hair much like the owner of the statue. The solemn heart-shaped face was perfectly proportioned. On his left hand side sat a scabbard for a rapier and his hands were placed as if prepared to pull out the rapier for battle.

Axel looked from the statue and then over to the brown-haired boy who looked at the statue with sadness that was not missed by the keen-eyed man.

"What's the name of this statue?" he inquired.

"The sculptor didn't name it."

"Why not?"

"He couldn't think of a proper title for it," replied Sora nonchalantly.

"God must have bestowed the divine arts upon the sculptor," Axel commented as he approached the statue. "It looks extremely lifelike."

"It is, isn't it?" agreed Riku.

"Who's the sculptor?"

"This statue is my brother's latest work," answered Sora.

"Your brother?" Axel was surprised by the information.

"Yes. He is an amateur sculptor. At least, that's what he calls himself," Sora laughed softly. "He refuses to sell his work even though they would fetch a lot of money."

"It's a good thing that he refuses to sell them though," said Axel. "I would hate to have this magnificent statue stolen to be sold on the antiquities market."

Sora smiled softly. "I supposed you're right."

"I would've liked to meet your brother."

"I'm sure if he knew, he would've accompanied me to town. However, he has decided to tour the Continent for the rest of the year," said Sora with a sad smile. Axel did not miss the look of accusation that Riku made toward the brown-haired man.

"Does your brother look like the statue?" the red-haired man decided to ask before turning his eyes at the statue again.

Sora laughed softly. "He does not look like this statue. There is a statue at home that he chiseled with himself as the model. There is a room at Linden Court walled with mirrors. It's the room that we had specially redone just for him."

Axel resisted the urge to whistle like a commoner in awe. He knew, as the other two knew, that mirrors were an expensive luxury. To have an entire room walled with mirrors would mean that the Lindens had a lot of money.

"Pardon my words. I have spoken too much," said Sora with a blush.

"It's your own reputation at stake," grinned Axel. He was starting to like this young man a lot. He would've liked to meet the model that this statue was based on."

"He's back in Durham," said Sora with a smile.

"Perhaps I shall make a trip up to Durham after my bar exam," contemplated Axel aloud. Sora grinned at the said thought.

"Linden Court will welcome you with open doors if you wished to call upon us."

"Any preference as to where I should keep the statue? I understand that your brother sounds averse to showcasing his work. Shall I have my servants place the statue in a private room?"

"That would be best," said Sora with an enigmatic smile.

"Then I shall put it in the sunroom."

"I thank you for your generosity," said Sora with a bow of respect. "I pray that you will not be burdened."

"It is no burden. I am glad to be of service and to be of your acquaintance."

"I am glad as well." The young man pulled out his pocket watch and looked at the time. "It's time for me to be off. I shall send letters inquiring of my statue's wellbeing until I return for it."

"And I shall look forward to them," said Axel with a firm handshake.

Sora approached the statue and with a sad smile, placed a hand upon the smooth ivory cheek of the sculpture.

"Thank you and farewell for now."

"Godspeed, my friend," said Axel. Sora waved good-bye and bowed before he exited the building.

"Strange man," the red-haired man commented.

Riku chuckled. "Sora has been known to be strange."

"Will you be staying for supper?"

"I think not. I have an obligation with my aunt at her home."

"Ah, yes. Aunt Millie. Give her my love."

"Will do. I shall return tomorrow to check on the statue."

"I shall expect your call then."

"Farewell, Axel."

"Safe journeys, Riku."

* * *

_Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts does not belong to me. No suing, please._

_A/N: Trying to write in older style of English speech is difficult. (sadface)  
_


	2. The Mystery

**Chapter 2 – The Mystery**

* * *

"Do you think it strange, Bartleby?" asked Axel as the statue that Sora gave him stood regally in the sunroom. The bright sun casted a brilliant light upon the magnificent statue and the statue boy gleamed like an angel from heaven.

"Milord?" inquired the butler.

"Sora and Riku seemed rather uneasy about this statue."

"You are right, my lord. They do seem uneasy. However, I believe it is because they are leaving the statue to _you_ that they are uneasy."

"Are you insinuating that I do not take care of artwork?" Axel glared at his servant. The man was excellent at his work, but sometimes the man was too impertinent for his own good.

"My apologies, milord; I did not mean it that way. What I mean was that Sir Sora is leaving an exquisite statue in your care, a stranger who he knows only through Lord Riku."

"That is a fair assumption," the man calmed down a bit.

"Shall I have the cook prepare for supper?" Bartleby asked after several minutes of silence.

"Yes. Have a messenger boy come by after supper. I have a letter to be sent."

"Yes, sir." The servant bowed out of the sunroom and Axel continued to stare at the beautiful statue.

"I wonder who the model is exactly," he said aloud to himself. Forcing himself to take his eyes away from the gleaming statue, Axel made a hasty retreat out of the room with the contents of the letter on his mind.

* * *

The following morning, Axel was on a carriage heading toward Baker Street where Zexion and Demyx lived. He wanted Zexion's opinion on the artistry of the statue and more about this brother of Lord Sora Linden of Durham.

"My masters will be with you shortly," announced the butler of the Sutton household as he led the visitor into the sitting room. Axel nodded before sitting down in a lounge chair and pulling off his gloves to fidget with them.

It wasn't long before his friends appeared in the sitting room. The three embraced one another in a friendly greeting before sitting in the chairs and couches.

"You were quite vague in your letter as to what you wanted to ask," said Zexion.

Axel laughed. "My apologies. I supposed I have been rather preoccupied by the sudden gift from Lord Sora."

"What did you wish to know about him?"

"I wish to know about his brother, the one who sculpted the statue."

"Sora's brother? I was not aware he had a brother," the man said with a slight frown.

"If he does, then his brother has never been to court," suggested Demyx.

"That is possible," replied Zexion facing his husband. "Sora is the lord of Linden Court in Durham and thus all business pertaining to there goes through him. And since Durham is so far north, it is possible that the records of the Linden household have not been updated in London."

"Where would the records be then?"

"Either Newcastle or Liverpool. The King has been attempting to gather all the records of his wealthy subjects and have them all in London, but it's a slow process. If you wish, I could request for the records."

"No," said Axel with a frown. "It would be improper for me to investigate into the Linden household just for an unnamed sculptor. If I must, I shall go to Durham myself to meet this brother of Sora's and the model."

"I am rather intrigued by this statue. You say it's lifelike?" smiled the blue-haired man. Axel nodded.

"Perhaps the marble's imported from Carrara?" asked Demyx.

"Most likely," replied the royal advisor. Axel's eyes widened considerably.

"Just how much money does Sora Linden receive a year?"

"He has a salary of one million Pounds," laughed Zexion.

"One million!?" Axel exclaimed. "How does he manage it?"

"He does a lot of businesses beyond simple manor keeping. I surmise he has investments in the Americas as well."

"There's an industrial man, right there," said Demyx.

"No wonder he is able to furnish a room with mirrors."

"Mirrors, you say?" asked Zexion.

"Yes. Yesterday, when Sora showed me the statue, he told me that they had walled a room with mirrors for his brother's work."

"Now I must see this statue you speak of," said Zexion eagerly. "I may not be an expert, but I do appreciate fine art."

"Shall we accompany you back to your home after dinner?" suggested Demyx. "You will be staying for dinner, right?"

Axel laughed. "Of course. I would love to have dinner with you both."

* * *

When Axel returned to his house that afternoon with Zexion and Demyx in tow, he noticed that the household staff seemed more flustered than usual.

"Bartleby, what's the matter?" he questioned.

"The cook believes that there's a vermin on the premise," the butler reported.

"A vermin?"

"Yes, milord. According to him, last night's leftovers had been stolen."

"None of the staff ate them?" Axel questioned.

"No. Everyone's been searching for the vermin the entire day. We shall get rid of it as soon as possible."

"Inform me once the problem's taken care of," the lord of the house said.

"Yes sir."

"Rat problem?" asked Demyx.

"Supposedly," hummed Axel. "Well, we're not here to discuss that little problem. Come." He then led the pair up the stairs to the third floor where the sunroom was located.

Upon opening the doors, both Zexion and Demyx gasped at the brilliant statue. Immediately, the blue-haired lord approached the statue and circled around it to scrutinize the piece of artwork.

"Magnificent," he said with awe. "The stonework is most outstanding."

"You are right. The statue is very life-like," said Demyx. "The face portrays such sadness."

Axel looked from his friend to the statue and realized that what Demyx said was true. The smooth perfect face was not simply a mere copy of the face of the model, but the eyes that had been detailed seem to speak of unfathomable melancholy.

"Is it possible to put in so much emotion into ones work that the work itself show the emotion?" he asked.

"It is not unheard of, but extremely rare," said Zexion. "The King would be most delighted to see such a piece of work."

The red-haired man set his lips in a thin line as he recalled his own words to Sora in consideration to the unnamed brother's aversion to showcase his work.

"Zexion, if possible, I would rather the King not know about this statue."

The blue-haired man looked at his friend with surprise. "Why not? His majesty would be delighted to know that such a skilled artisan resides in England."

"I promised Sora that I would safeguard the statue and not display it wantonly."

"I see. This brother of his does not like to exhibit his artworks."

"No, he does not."

"I shall honor his privacy. I do hope that he will change his mind and allow his statues to be shown in public. I hear the curator for the British Gallery is looking for a new exhibition."

"I would like to see his other works too," said Demyx.

"I'm sure they're all as magnificent as this one," said Zexion. The butler then entered the room.

"Milord, Lord Riku calls," he said smoothly.

"Bring him here," Axel commanded.

"Yes, sir."

"Riku's here?" asked Demyx with a raised eyebrow.

"He said he would call today. He was the one who suggested me as the statue's caretaker to Sora."

"Interesting."

"I didn't expect you two to be here as well," said Riku with a laugh upon entering the room. "I see you have found the secret treasure."

"It is a marvelous piece of work," said Zexion. "Do you know the sculptor, Riku?"

"To be quite honest, I've never met Sora's brother, the sculptor of this statue. I've only known him through Sora's words while we were at the boarding school."

"Is it possible that Sora's the actual sculptor?"

Riku laughed heartily. "Sora has no such patience for the arts. He enjoys music and art viewing but not the actual process of creating such a piece of work. The best work that you'll see him do is a child's rendition of the Mona Lisa."

"It's a shame that we can't get in contact with the man this year," the royal advisor said with disappointment.

"There's always next year," said Demyx cheerfully.

"Do you think I made the right decision to place the statue here, Riku?" asked Axel.

"It's a perfect place to put it. I dare say that you deliberately moved things around in here just to have the statue receive full sunlight," he grinned roguishly.

"You know me well," replied Axel with a grin of his own. A sudden thought came to his mind. "Oh, Riku. If I were to travel to Durham this year, can I call on Sora?"

Riku frowned slightly. "He would rather you not abandon the statue so carelessly. He treats this statue with great importance."

"Is he in some kind of trouble with the underground?" asked Zexion suspiciously.

"Oh, no. You misunderstood me," answered Riku while waving his hands in a defensive gesture. "What I mean is that this statue is most likely the livelihood of his own brother. Before he went on his travel through the Continent, he had been discussing with Sora about moving to London to study the arts."

"I see."

"By the by, I see your staff seemed rather busy. I hope you weren't preparing for some small gathering tonight without inviting me."

Axel laughed. "I would never think of such a travesty; having a party without my best friend. My butler informs me that we have a vermin of sorts on the premise; ate all the last night's leftovers. It's a mere trifle," replied Axel. Riku frowned slightly at the information before looking at the statue.

Zexion pulled out his pocket watch and glanced at the time.

"Is it time, dear?" asked Demyx as he looked over to his husband.

"Yes." He replaced the watch and smiled at his friends. "We must be on our way. His royal highness hosts a small recital tonight at the palace."

"Don't let me hold you up," said Axel. "It would not be good to keep our king waiting."

"Allow me to accompany you," the silver-haired man said.

"Of course," nodded Zexion.

"Good day, Axel. We shall call on you for another look at the statue in the future," grinned Demyx.

"My home is welcome to you all," replied the host.

"No need to see us out, we know the way," said the blue-haired man after shaking Axel's hand in a friendly manner.

"Very well. Good day, my friends." Axel watched as his friends made their way down the wooden stairs before his butler approached him.

"Have they caught the vermin?" Axel asked.

"No, sir. However, the cook informs me that he has recovered a set of silverware that had been used in the consumption of food."

Axel looked at his servant with surprise. "Silverware? Where?"

"They were hidden amongst the cutlery. He had not discovered them until he had begun preparations for tonight's supper."

"Then it was a thief who stole the scraps," said Axel with a frown.

"But, sir. Both the head maid and I had made sure that the house was locked up before we both turned in for the night." The butler was flustered by his master's displeasure.

"I do not blame you for the theft, Bartleby. This is an old house, it is possible for someone to enter and leave without leaving as so much as a trace here," the Lord of Dover said soothingly.

"What shall we do, milord?"

"It is fine. Have the cook leave the leftovers on a plate in the kitchen along with a set of cutlery. I shall leave a note inquiring our surprise guest's goal."

"Very well, milord. Shall I have the maid bring up tea and crumpets for you this afternoon?"

Axel nodded and the butler left the man standing in the sunroom. The red-haired man took another glance at the statue before leaving to his study. The thought of how to make the thief lower his guard and be caught red-handed in his home went through his mind.

* * *

_Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts does not belong to me. No suing, please._

_A/N: I have a feeling there are a lot of historical inaccuracies in this fic… (Namely the price of mirrors and the British Gallery) But does that really matter!? I think not (or at least I'd hope not, haha). On another note, hehe, Baker Street.  
_


	3. The Visitors

**Chapter 3 – The Visitors**

* * *

"Milord!" exclaimed the butler as he roused his master from his sleep. The red-haired man yawned and sat up in his soft bed with displeasure as he was deprived of his sleep.

"This had better be important," he seethed.

"My apologies, but I thought you would like to see this," Bartleby said before presenting the white card that he had written the previous night.

"What is it?" he asked with furrowed eyebrows before turning the card over. There on the back of the pristine white card was a simple line of elegant script.

"_Do not search for me_."

The red-haired man frowned. The script was much too elegant to be that of a commoner's. The way the "D" and the "f" was curved suggested to him that the writer had a written a lot of manuscripts in his life.

"We found the card sitting atop your desk in the study," the butler reported. "One of your pens sat next to it with an uncapped inkbottle."

"It would appear that our guest is not a mere commoner," Axel said aloud.

"Sir?" the old man questioned.

"The script is that of an educated young man. I am intrigued by this." A smile made its way onto the red-haired lord's face. "Very intrigued."

* * *

That evening, Axel's mind continued to work regarding the young man who had supped without anyone's knowledge for the second consecutive night. He lied in his bed wide awake, unable to take his mind off of the mysterious man who did not wish to meet him.

With a sigh, he got out of the bed and lit the candle that sat in a carrier on the bedstead. The flickering light casted dark shadows within the opulent bedroom and for a brief moment, Axel hated the tasteless décor of the room. He breathed a sigh of annoyance and put on his slippers, leaving the comforts of his room for the study.

Upon entered the room, his eyes were immediately drawn to the moonlit desk. A familiar card stood silently next to the pen that he had used this afternoon to leave another message for his unexpected but welcomed guest. He hurried over to the desk and lifted the card. On the back was another simple line of elegant script written by the same hands.

"_Do not inquire about me_."

The red-haired man froze as soft padded footsteps came muffled in the hallway. He dropped the card and snuffed out the candle before quietly moving out into the hallway. A glimpse of white down the staircase met his widened eyes and he made haste to intercept the figure. His heart pounded heavily in his chest with anticipation and his breath caught in his throat as the figure that he had been following stepped into the moonlit foyer.

The intruder was a young man to be certain. From his vantage point, Axel could see a navy blue coat sitting over a white collared shirt. The man wore a pair of black riding boots and white riding breeches. Hanging from the belt was a rapier with a familiar hilt.

What was perhaps the most striking were the white spiked hairs that sat upon the boy's head. The individual spikes swayed as the boy made his way toward the door. He stopped short of the front door however before turning to face his observer.

The red-haired man's eyes widened with shock as he laid them upon the heart-shaped face that showed no sign of amusement. His own green eyes locked with the boy's ice blue eyes and Axel shuddered at the piercing gaze. The boy frowned before turning away and letting himself out of the house. The master of the house hurried down the steps and out of the house into the moonlit street, but saw no trace of the boy who had just graced his presence.

Slightly disappointed by the disappearance of the boy, Axel returned to the warmth of the house with an unfamiliar longing. Yet, despite the disappointment and the desire to know the boy, a smile made its way onto Axel's face.

"At least I know that the model for the statue is in town," he said to himself.

He returned to bed with thoughts of meeting the boy again filling his mind.

* * *

The following morning, Axel was eager to share this news with Riku. Soon after the morning breakfast, he sent a letter to Riku telling him that he would be calling on him later on. Riku's reply was prompt and apologized that he would be preoccupied until later in the day, but he would join him for supper that night if Axel was free. The red-haired man immediately agreed with the plan and decided to call on Demyx and Zexion.

When he saw Demyx, the man was still in his sleeping robes and didn't care to change out of them.

"Late night?" asked Axel with a smile on his face.

"You know that His majesty loves to overindulge in the simple pleasures of music. We stayed until early morning entertaining the man."

"I hope it wasn't just you there," said Axel with a slight frown.

Demyx laughed. "Oh no. Good Lord. That would've been exhausting. The Royal Shakespeare Company was there as well. They had put on a performance of _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ prior to the musical performance."

"So you saw Sir Marluxia and Lady Larxene?"

"That I did. Marluxia's still as much of a pompous bastard as he ever was," Demyx laughed. "Fortunately, Lady Larxene was there to keep his ego in check."

"I would've liked to see them," said Axel with a nostalgic smile.

"How long has it been?"

"Six months, in fact. Too long, indeed."

"But enough of that. What is it that you needed to visit me with such haste?" Demyx reached for a small scone and waited for his guest to speak as he leaned into his chair.

"I saw him, Demyx," said Axel excitedly as he stood up. "He was in my house last night."

"Who? Who did you meet?" asked Demyx with furrowed eyebrows.

"The model of the statue," replied Axel. "The statue is an identical copy of the boy, down to the very eyes. Oh, I wish you could've been there." He turned to see Demyx with a gaped expression on his face, the scone that was in his hand had dropped onto the ground.

"Demyx, are you alright?" the red-haired man questioned his friend. The Lord of Margate snapped out of his daze and seemed flustered by his "accident".

"Sorry," he said as he picked up the fallen scone and placed it on the tray. He looked toward the door from the sitting room into the foyer and then back at his guest.

"Demyx, you didn't answer my question," Axel said with a frown.

"W-what?" the man was clearly distracted.

"You're obviously not alright," Axel said as he sat down closer to the man. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing," the man replied, slightly nervously. Axel could see that his friend was lying. "I just remembered that I had a previous engagement today. Perhaps we can chat more over supper tonight?"

Axel frowned. "Sure. Where is Zexion anyways?"

"He's at the palace," replied Demyx as he stood up abruptly. "I'm sorry that I couldn't have been a better host today."

"No, it's alright," the man replied. "Bring Zexion with you tonight. I have much to speak to him about."

"Thank you," said Demyx before hurrying out of the room. Bewildered by the strange behavior his friend exhibited, Axel let himself out of the house and looked at the black carriage forlornly.

"I'll be walking back, Jonathan," he said to his carriage driver who had opened the door for him.

"Very well, sir," the man said with a bow as he watched his master began his walk home.

As the man strolled down the busy thoroughfares, his mind kept coming back to the mysterious boy who had invaded his home. Sora had said that the model was in Durham, yet the boy had been in his house the previous night, right? Yet, at the same time, the thought that perhaps his eyes were playing tricks on him passed through his mind. After all, upon exiting the house, the red-haired man had found no trace of the boy in the empty street. Either the boy was an illusion or he was a Londoner. The boy was a mystery.

The Lord of Dover stopped in front of a famous pub and debated whether to enter for a drink. Opting to head home first, Axel continued on his way, all the while mulling over the features of the strange boy.

* * *

That night, Riku arrived promptly at six as Axel had requested and with him he brought along the two sisters of Corby, Ladies Kairi and Naminé. It was certainly a pleasant surprise as Lord Axel had not seen the two since two summers before. Apparently, the two had just arrived in town the night before from their travels through the continent.

"I haven't seen you two in ages!" Axel exclaimed as the four sat in the sitting room. "How have you been? Come on, I know you're eager to share the news." He grinned at the two, knowing perfectly well that the two women loved to gossip. Yet, despite their tendencies, the two ladies both have sharp minds and know when to speak what and when not to speak what.

Naminé giggled as her sister shook her head in mock resignation.

"You know us too well, Axel," Kairi replied with a smile.

"Kairi's engaged," said Naminé.

"Oh? To which dashing lad, might I inquire?"

"Lord Hayner of St. Ausbel. Do you know him?" asked Kairi.

"I've seen him at court a few times. He's a good man," said Axel. "Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"You didn't tell me how you met Hayner," said Riku as he picked up a glass of mulled wine.

"We met in Switzerland this past year, actually," answered the red-haired girl. "He was also touring the Continent and ended up accompanying the two of us for the rest of our tour."

"Aren't you jealous of your sister, Naminé?" teased Axel.

The blond-haired girl slightly blushed before replying rather indignantly, "Whatever for? I met a rather beautiful young lady in Denmark actually. She's going to visit England within a week."

"Oh? What's her name?"

"Countess Jessica Nielsen of Ribe."

"Jessica? That doesn't sound very Danish," remarked Riku.

"Her mother was the Lady of Ashford," answered Kairi.

"Ah, I see."

"Milord, Sir Zexion and Lord Demyx have arrived," announced Bartleby as the two said men entered the room. The four sitters stood up and turned to face the newest arrivals.

"Welcome, my friends," smiled Axel as he received them. "Allow me to introduce my friends from Corby, Lady Kairi and Lady Naminé. This is Sir Zexion and his husband Lord Demyx."

"It's a pleasure," said Demyx.

"You're the royal musician, aren't you?" asked Naminé. "I've heard about you."

"And you're the royal advisor," commented Kairi.

Zexion laughed. "It would appear that our reputation precedes us."

Kairi smiled coyly. "We know our circles well."

While the four new acquaintances conversed, Axel turned to Riku. "Riku, can I speak with you in private?"

"Sure." The pair then sat down in a corner away from the rest. Axel saw Demyx whisper something to Zexion and the blue-haired man nodded solemnly before continuing his conversations with the two ladies.

"So, what did you need to speak to me about?" Riku asked.

"I saw _him_, the model."

Riku frowned deeply. "When?"

"Past midnight. He looks exactly like the statue, down to the very clothes too. Good god, I wish I could get to know him better."

"Where did you see him?" Riku did not appear to share the same enthusiasm as Axel did.

"In the foyer. He had left the house right after he saw me," replied Axel. The red-haired man didn't seem to mind his friend's strange behavior.

The silver-haired teen breathed a sigh of relief as he smiled amiably. "If I can find the boy, I'll see if he'd like to meet you."

"That would be wonderful."

A bell rang as the butler reentered the room. "Sirs and mademoiselles, dinner is served."

* * *

Halfway into the meal, the six diners engaged in congenial conversation. The doorbell rang, but none took notice.

As they shared a laugh of one of Naminé's misadventures while the two were in Portugal, Axel's butler entered the rom.

"Milord," he said.

"What is it, Bartleby?" the man continued dining.

"A visitor for you, sir," he announced.

Axel looked at his servant with confusion. "Visitor? I wasn't expecting anyone else tonight."

"He claims that he has urgent business with you, sir." Axel breathed a small sigh before standing up and heading out towards the foyer.

"Who is it?"

"He gave his name as Lord Xemnas of Newtown St. Boswells."

"Scottish lord? Very well."

A clatter of silverware hitting ceramic rang out in the silent dining hall as Axel walked out into the foyer. Riku stood to follow Axel out.

The master of the house frowned slightly to see the block cloaked man standing in his foyer turning about looking around him. He gave a feral smile upon seeing the red-haired man.

"Lord Axel?" he inquired, his Scottish accent was surprisingly light.

"That I am. What business do you have with me?"

"I understand that you have one of my possessions in this house."

Axel frowned. "Yours? I wasn't aware-"

"It does not belong to you, Xemnas," Riku's voice rang out coldly. "You are not welcomed here."

"Riku," acknowledged Xemnas equally icily. "I had not expected you to be here." He sneered at the silver-haired teen. "Though," he sniffed derisively, "I suppose the man was right if you're here."

"Leave," the Lord of Coventry itched for his weapon as he clenched his fists in latent anger.

"I am a guest," replied Xemnas with a smile.

"No," said Axel, looking at his frowning friend before turning toward his visitor. "Riku is right. I believe you have overstayed your welcome. Leave my house at once."

The dark-haired man scowled at the turn of events. "Very well. But don't think this is the last time you'll see me. I will retrieve my possession whether you like it or not." With that, he stormed out of the house with his cloak flowing behind him violently.

Riku let out a breath that he didn't realized he was holding as Axel frowned and glared at his friend.

"What in the king's name was that, Riku? You better have a good explanation for this."

His silver-haired friend heaved a sigh. "We should return to the dining hall, we can explain this better."

"We?"

"Yes, we," said Riku before entering the room.

"Is he gone?" asked Naminé. Axel noted that her complexion seemed paler than usual while Demyx and Kairi both were tense. Zexion had stood up to pace about the room. No one had the appetite to continue eating.

"He is," replied Riku and the other four visibly relaxed slightly.

"What is going on here?" the red-haired man asked with frustration. "You all have been hiding a secret from me."

The blue-haired man looked from the clock then to Riku and then to Axel. He nodded solemnly. "It is true."

"The reason why we've hid it from you was because we didn't want you get caught with that man alone," said Riku.

"What do you mean?"

"The man's evil, Axel," said Kairi softly. "They said that he's an agent of the devil."

Axel began to laugh disbelievingly, "You can't be serious." When no one smiled, he gulped.

"So why is he here?"

"Riku, it's almost time," said Demyx. "Perhaps it would be easier to just show him."

"Wait a minute, don't tell me the statue is actually his!" exclaimed the red-haired man angrily. "You and Sora lied!?"

"They did no such thing," retorted Kairi coldly. "That _man_ is a liar." Her eyes flashed angrily and for a moment, Axel regretted his unfounded judgment.

"Let us head upstairs," said Zexion and the six aristocrats walked upstairs into the sunroom. A maid lit the candles around the room before leaving the six alone, closing the doors behind her as commanded.

"Oh," moaned Naminé with anguish as she approached the statue. "I'm sorry, my dear."

As the moon came out from behind the clouds, the clock chimed nine and Naminé backed up to allow the transformation take place.

Axel's eyes widened with shock as color began to replace the white starting with the limbs and up through the torso. Cloth and skin took the place of marble upon the boy's body and finished with the recoloring of the brilliantly blue eyes. The boy took a gasp of air as he was freed from his prison.

"Oof," he said softly as the previous girl embraced him with ferocity. "Naminé, I can't breathe."

The blond-haired girl laughed with tears as she released him from her hug. "It's been so long."

"It's nice to see you again." He turned toward the wide-eyed, open-mouthed master of the house and smiled, hoping the man wouldn't be too speechless by this entire situation.

"Who… are you?" the red-haired man asked.

"I am Roxas, brother of Lord Sora Linden of Durham," the blond-haired boy replied.

* * *

_Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts does not belong to me. No suing, please._

_A/N: The plot thickens! Now I'm at a dilemma of whether to lengthen the fic to develop the relationship between Roxas and Axel more… or just keep it simple like I've planned for now… Ah, decisions, decisions. How I loathe thee. On another note, there's another silly reference I put in here, see if you can spot it. (wink)  
_

_To Reviewers of Chapter 2:_

_Chiyon Shi: Yeah, originally I was kind of miffed when I saw no one reviewed the first chapter. Though I guess there wasn't enough to review upon. (shrugs) Anyways, you were right about the first part. I doubt I'll be writing in a part for their journey to Linden Court, but they will most likely go somewhere else besides London (aka the town). I will agree with the honorifics being a bit overwhelming, but alas, it's necessary to convey the "historical" aspect that I'm trying to achieve, haha._

_Zheyne: Yup, Sherlock Holmes. I will admit that I'm not a big fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writing, but I do like Sherlock Holmes. I was more or less rambling to myself when I commented on the historical inaccuracies in the last chapter, since I managed to remember all the English history from my Brit Lit class some six years ago. At least I know you're enjoying this. Thanks._

_TheFallenOnes: Well, this chapter hinted at the answer to your question, didn't it? Hehe._


	4. The Truth

**Chapter 4 – The Truth**

* * *

"What?" Axel blurted out with surprise.

"We should take this conversation to a more comfortable place, should we not?" suggested Zexion. Roxas turned to look at the blue-haired man and raised an eyebrow.

"Pardon me, I haven't introduced myself. I am Sir Zexion and this is my husband, Lord Demyx," said the man as the blond-haired man shook his outstretched hand. "We are sorry for your predicament."

Roxas sighed. "No need to apologize for my youthful ignorance. If I had more foresight, then perhaps-"

"Roxas Terrence Linden, cease that sort of talk _now_!" exclaimed Kairi. "It is not your fault that this happened." Axel resisted the urge to burst out laughing at the boy's cowering at the Lady of Corby's outburst.

"In any case," said Riku. "We should head downstairs." When Roxas was about to protest, he added, "Xemnas visited tonight."

The Lord of Dover noticed the tension in the boy's posture upon the mentioning of the Scottish lord. His fists clenched tightly and his lips were set in a thin line. It was obvious to anyone who has eyes that Xemnas was the cause of the boy's predicament.

Axel led the company downstairs and raised a hand to silence his servant when he gaped at their newest visitor who had not entered the house through the front door.

"Prepare some tea, brandy, mulled wine, and cucumber sandwiches and bring them to the sitting room," the man commanded.

"Yes, sir," the butler bowed before hurrying away to do his lord's bidding.

The group of aristocrats entered the sitting room with a roaring fire burning brightly in the fireplace. They sat silently around the fireplace and waited for the butler to return with the food before they began talking.

While they waited, Axel looked at each of the occupants within the room. From where he sat, he had perfect view of all of their faces. Riku seemed like a boulder has been lifted off his shoulders, though he remained tense. Naminé and Kairi sat motionlessly in their seats while Zexion leaned forward fidgeting with his hands. Demyx had leaned back in his own seat and had closed his eyes. Lastly, the boy named Roxas stared at the fireplace without really seeing.

Axel noticed how the flickering fire danced across the boy's features and eyes and blushed when the boy caught him staring. He thanked the good god that the room was dim and the light from the fireplace was orange, masking the blush on his face.

At long last, Bartleby entered the silent room with a silver tray of drinks and sandwiches before leaving and closing the doors behind him. They all breathed a visible sigh of relief before Axel poured himself a glass of brandy.

"So," he settled back into his seat. "Explain."

"Where should I start?" said Roxas as he nursed a glass of mulled wine.

"How about from the time when we're at the academy?" suggested Naminé.

"Very well."

"One year ago," began Roxas, "I entered the Academy of Arts at York for an apprenticeship there. It was there that I met Naminé and the two of us became good friends. Although our focuses were different—hers was in oil painting and mine in sculpting, we often spent time with each other. It was also from her that I found out that my brother knew her sister and Riku of Coventry. We had managed to settle into our new lives fairly well until two months later."

"A Scottish lord had visited the academy to make a commission for a statue," continued Naminé as Roxas drank deeply from his glass. "The academy had assigned the commission to Roxas's master and so Xemnas went to see the sculptor who would be carving out his statue. I had been waiting for Roxas in the sculpting room that day while he completed an assignment when the man came."

"Originally, he only saw Naminé, I was behind the big block of granite that I was working on," said Roxas. "He expressed his surprise at seeing her and assumed that she was the sculptor. And he seemed very cordial and polite. When he saw me, however," he gave a scoff, "he placed all of his attention on me."

"Neither Roxas nor I had any inkling that the man was infatuated with Roxas," said Naminé. "We were only fifteen at the time and inexperienced in the verses of love and lust, so naturally we simply thought that the man had only become a good friend."

The blond-haired man nodded before continuing, "Every day, the man would drop by the academy while my master and I worked on his sculpture and Naminé, Xemnas, and I would lunch together around the academy. Towards the end of the project, however, everything changed. The man had become more aggressive and open about his desires for me. Thankfully, Naminé was there every time before the man could corner me successfully. I was scared and had told her about his advances.

"On the day when the sculpture was finally completed," Roxas continued after breathing a deep breath, "Xemnas had invited me to his temporary estate in Haxby. My master had told me to deliver the statue on my own, so I reluctantly accepted the invitation. It was that day that my life had changed."

Axel narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth, somehow knowing exactly what was to come.

"He gave me a tour of the place which ended at the tower where a lone statue stood. That statue was of me. It was apparent that Xemnas had a statue made from me without anyone's knowledge." Roxas closed his eyes and shuddered as he dredged up the painful memory. "He asked me if I would marry him. I refused and started my way out of the room when he grabbed my wrist and pushed me towards the statue."

Roxas gulped visibly. "He told me that if I was this cold hearted, then I might as well become the statue itself. I didn't know what happened next, but all I knew was that I had fainted for a short moment before opening my eyes to see Xemnas's smirk as he left the room and closed the door behind him. I made to go after him, but I couldn't move. I didn't know what had happened until that night."

Naminé nodded. "When Roxas was long overdue from his journey, I knew something was wrong. I went to the estate at Haxby and inquired for Roxas, but the man told me that Roxas had already left his estate hours prior to my inquiry. I knew he was lying, but I couldn't do anything by myself. Much to my regret, I left the estate with a heavy heart."

"I don't remember how long it was…"

"It was a month, Roxas," replied Naminé forlornly.

"Ah. Regardless, every single day, I was trapped in the statue by day and every night, Xemnas would come and try to coax me into accepting his offer. I would always refuse and he would always lock me in the tower room. Only one other person in the entire estate knew that I was there and that was the chef who was instructed to provide me with supper every night." The blond-haired boy sighed.

"If Xemnas wanted you, then couldn't he have…" Axel didn't need to go further with the distasteful words.

"I think he wanted me more than just my body, Axel. He knew that I was Sora's brother. He knew that if I had married him, he could have murdered Sora to get my inheritance." Axel disliked this cursed man more and more.

"When I returned to York, I had sent a letter to Sora at Linden Court. When the letter was returned, saying that Sora wasn't at Linden Court, I wrote to Riku. The letter was also returned. In a final effort, I finally wrote to my sister at Corby, who then sent a letter to Sora and Riku who were at Oxford. Within a fortnight of my letter to my sister, Sora and Riku arrived in York with urgency. I told them everything about Xemnas and the three of us hurried to Haxby to find Roxas that night. With a little bribing and convincing, we managed to gain entrance into the estate. We were lucky that Xemnas had gone to York."

"That and we were lucky that he hadn't decided to return to Scotland yet. We would've had a hard time to rescue Roxas if that had happened," added Riku. "We found Roxas pacing in the tower room where Xemnas had locked him in. He was ecstatic to see us, but at the same time, he was anxious to leave. He told us to take him away from York as fast as possible but we shouldn't return to Durham. We traveled throughout the night to end up at Doncaster by morning and were shocked to see Roxas turn into a statue.

"Knowing very well that Xemnas was most likely on our trail, we made our way to Nottingham on that day and managed to arrive without anyone following us. It was pure luck that we managed to enter the town under the dark of night."

"I had been waiting for them at our estate in Nottingham when I saw Naminé's letter. I hadn't actually been expecting them to come down south, but Naminé had asked me to go to Nottingham just in case. To say I was shocked to see Roxas as a statue was an understatement." She gave a soft laugh.

Riku chuckled as well. "You fainted upon hearing the news."

"At night on that day, I was freed from my unnatural prison and I detailed everything to them, from the day when I went to Xemnas's temporary estate at Haxby and his wishes. We were all perplexed by the events. None of us had any experiences with such strange phenomena."

"That night, we decided to go abroad to seek anyone with any knowledge in unnatural events," said Kairi.

"While I brought Sora and Roxas to my estate at Coventry," continued Riku. "We stayed there for a month or two before Sora decided that he should bring Roxas back to Linden Court since Durham is a much smaller town than Coventry. There was less of a chance that people who find out about Roxas's 'accident'."

"There was no use going to the authorities?"

"Axel, you know how superstitious the authorities are. If they confirmed the fact that Roxas had become a statue, they probably would've burned him at the stake for being a witch," said Demyx with a frown. The red-haired man grimaced.

"I wouldn't put it in such extreme terms," said Zexion with a laugh. "But I do believe that they probably would have treated Roxas like a freak rather than take our allegations seriously."

"I see," frowned Axel.

"When we were at Linden Court, we were left in relative peace for a little over three months until Xemnas came knocking on our door. We knew we had to leave. The man knew things that no man should know," said Roxas.

"They ended up back in Coventry, but I had left for London already," explained Riku. "When they had come to town, Sora found me at the party that we were at."

"And the next day, I got the statue," concluded Axel.

"That is right."

"Why me?"

"First of all," said Riku, "I trust you the most. Secondly, you're the least conspicuous of us all. Both Zexion and Demyx are well known throughout England for their positions near the king. You're only known amongst the Londoners to be a dashing bachelor." He grinned.

"Oh, thanks," retorted Axel. Out of his periphery vision, the man could've sworn that he detected a hint of red on the boy's cheeks.

"Besides, Riku approached me the day after to see if I can find out anything about such phenomena in the royal library," said Zexion. "No such luck so far."

"Countess Jessica was also asking around in Denmark before she would head to Norway and Finland. Last letter she sent me, she said she might've found a clue."

"Who is this Lord Xemnas?" asked Axel. "How is he able to do all these things?"

"We don't know. There are rumors claiming that he's the son of the devil himself, but no one really knows. All we know is that the man has dabbled in things that should not be dabbled in," said Roxas.

Riku heaved a sigh. "What should we do now? Xemnas knows that you're here."

"Just stay here," said the red-haired man. "There's always someone in the house. If I tell my servants not to admit Xemnas, they will follow my orders."

Roxas nodded solemnly.

"If worse comes to worse, bring your pedestal to our house tomorrow," said Kairi.

"Alright," said the blond-haired teen.

The clock chimed ten.

"Well, I felt a lot better now that the secret's been revealed to Axel," grinned Demyx.

"I will keep searching through the royal library regarding this," said Zexion.

"And I will help you," said Riku.

"We shall return tomorrow night to check up on you, if that's alright with you, Axel," suggested Naminé.

"That will be fine."

"Then it is time for us to return home," smiled Kairi as they all stood up.

"Safe journeys my friends. Pray that Xemnas will suffer a heart attack prior to tomorrow night," joked Axel as his friends all laughed.

At the door, while the sisters of Corby and the married couple both left without lingering, Riku stayed behind and embraced his friend's brother tightly. The man that looked on felt a strange pang of jealousy in his heart. He quickly dismissed the notion that he was jealous of the two teen's friendship, reasoning that they've known each other longer than he has with Roxas. Yet, he couldn't help but wish that it was him who took the place of Riku and was now embracing the young man to comfort him. Axel blinked with confusion as he wondered where that train of thought came.

The two men broke away from each other as Riku patted Roxas on the shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"I'll let Sora know about the latest," he said. "Should I tell him to return to town?"

Roxas shrugged. "I know you want him to return," he smiled at his silver-haired friend. Axel raised an eyebrow as a blush colored the teen's pale face.

The young man laughed brightly at his friend's embarrassment, earning him a smack on his shoulder from the blushing teen. "I'll stop," he replied. "Tell him it would be his decision to return to town, though I do not doubt that he will return if he knows that Xemnas is here."

Riku nodded solemnly. "Be careful," he said quietly.

"I will."

"Till we meet again," the silver-haired man said and left the house.

Both Axel and Roxas watched as the man boarded his carriage and disappeared from view.

* * *

_Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts does not belong to me. No suing, please._

_A/N: Short chapter… but explains everything I've needed to get out. This kind of reminds me of _Dorian Gray_, except he's alive and well and not… trapped like Roxas is. Meh. No particular reference in this chapter... expect that the entire "burn him at the stake" reminded me of _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_. "We found a witch! May we burn her!?"_

_To Reviewers of Chapter 3:_

_grapedragon: This chapter answered all of your questions, I hope._

_Kikyo Uchiha: Here's the long awaited chapter! Hehe._


	5. The Plan

**Chapter 5 – The Plan**

* * *

After Riku left, the two men stood in slightly awkward silence. Axel was uncertain what he should do with the teen that had become his charge while Roxas was unsure whether he should converse with the man that would be his "guardian" of sorts.

"You can retire if you wish," Roxas said at last, his voice was small like a child. "I know my way around here." He smiled nervously.

Axel's eyes widened slightly at the comment before laughing. "Of course. You had been exploring the house for the two previous nights after all." Roxas blushed at that.

"But, I do not feel the least bit tired. I would like to know more about you," he smiled.

The younger man had almost blurted, "I would too," but his voice failed him and he simply blushed more.

"Let's go to the drawing room," the older man suggested. Roxas nodded mutely.

The silent pair walked toward the hallway to the right of the staircase and passed through a wooden doorway off to the right. A servant quickly lit the candles around the room before stoking the small fire in the fireplace and fueling it with more timber.

The fire casted flickering light upon the room and Roxas saw several paintings as well as sculptors by familiar hands. He recognized especially the landscape painting of Bennet Manor at Corby.

"Naminé gave this to you?" he inquired.

"Yes. If the timelines are right, I believe that she sent it to me sometimes right before you went missing for a month. She said that it was a belated birthday present for me."

Roxas laughed softly. "I see." He continued around looking at the paintings and the sculptors, muttering to himself the artist. Axel was surprised that he managed to get each of them right when there were no hints as to who each artist was in plain view.

"You're very knowledgeable about the arts," the red-haired man commented.

"One learns to pick up these things when one's at the Academy of Arts," smiled Roxas.

"I see. Come. Sit by the fire with me." The two men sat in individual upholstered chairs near the fireplace.

"Are you an art connoisseur, Lord Axel?"

"Please, just Axel. I'm not so much an art connoisseur as a simple noble who appreciates art for what it is and nothing else. As you can see," he gestured to the room around him. "I'm not a fan of any particular artist."

"Do you live here by yourself?"

"Yes. My parents live back in Dover at our estate. I'm in town only on the insistence of my mother to procure a bar license."

"Ah. I wouldn't say that I'm fond of lawyers."

"It would serve to pass the time until I inherit the estate."

"You're an only child?"

"Yes, that I am."

Roxas's eyes softened. "You must have had a lonely childhood." He raised an eyebrow when Axel laughed heartedly. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Not so much lonely as rather itinerant. I have never spent more than two months in Dover after my fifth summer. My family spent the majority of our time in Cambridge and it was there that I met Riku."

"I see that you're very close to him," smiled Roxas.

"He is my best friend of many years."

"I see," Roxas seemed pensive.

"But enough about me. What about you? How are your parents?"

The blond-haired teen's eyes darkened slightly and the inquirer bit his lower lip in self-chastisement.

"My apologies. I must've hit a sensitive subject. Forgive me."

"No, it's alright. You didn't know." Roxas sighed. "My mother died when she gave birth to me. Sora was only four years old then, so neither he nor I really remembered our mother. My dad's always said that I look very much like my mother."

"Your father must've died if Sora's the Lord of Linden Court, right?" said Axel softly. The younger man nodded.

"He died three years ago from heart failure. He was a very loving man."

"You must miss him a lot." Roxas smiled nostalgically.

"He never begrudged me for depriving him of his love. I think he spoiled me more than he did with my brother." Axel smiled at the way the young man laughed.

"This past year must've been hard on you," said Axel softly. The statement was neither an assertion nor a question and Roxas winced slightly at the words.

"I've learned to cope with it," he replied, his voice equally as soft. The two men shared a comfortable though slightly unwelcomed silence.

"Do you wish for me to move your pedestal?" Axel suddenly asked, his voice echoed slightly in the large room. The younger man's head snapped up in surprise as he processed the words.

"I'm fine in the sunroom. The plants are more than enough company for my stony self." The corner of his lips twitched upward as the younger man tried to keep a straight face at his pun, but upon hearing Axel's laugh, he couldn't help but laugh as well.

"I feel rather strange," Axel admitted. "Even though I've only known you for a couple of hours, I feel like I've known you forever."

"I share the same sentiments," replied Roxas with a soft smile.

"Perhaps we're fated to know each other?"

"Perhaps." Axel didn't miss the change in his newly acquired friend's gaze.

Another silence fell upon them as the two sat awkwardly in the room. This time, it was Roxas who broke the silence.

"It's best that you go rest. It would not do for you to behave strangely under the watch of Xemnas's men."

"Ah." Axel stood to leave. He turned to look at his young charge with concern."

"Don't worry. I'm not going to leave," the man replied as if he knew exactly what Axel was thinking. Before the red-haired man opened his mouth to ask how he knew, Roxas added, "Sora used to give me the same exact look after he found out."

"I see. Just to let you know, I will probably be out for the entire afternoon tomorrow to call upon a couple of people. You should be alright, right?"

"As long as you tell your servants not to let anyone in, I'll be fine," smiled Roxas.

"I shall. Good night, Roxas."

"Sleep well, Axel."

* * *

Axel groaned as his body shook violently.

"Axel," a small voice filtered through his sluggish brain.

"Axel!" The voice sounded louder and more desperate now.

"Axel, wake up. Please wake up!"

The red-haired man slowly opened his eyes and blinked away the blurriness to find Roxas's fearful face hovering over him. The blue eyes relaxed a bit upon seeing the man waking up, but the fear remained.

"Roxas?" inquired the sleepy man hoarsely before yawning. "What is it?"

"Someone's trying to get in," he replied. The sleep that had lingered in Axel's mind immediately disappeared as he snapped his head up to face the teen. He noticed for the first time that the young man had his blade out and the cold steel glinted dangerously under the moonlight.

"Xemnas?" he uttered questioningly as he quickly threw on a simple shirt and pulled on a pair of breeches. He would have laughed at the blush on his friend's face at seeing his lack of manners, but the possibility that Xemnas was coming for Roxas banished all thoughts of decorum.

"I don't know," muttered the pale-haired man. Axel took another glance at his friend and noticed that Roxas looked very much still like a young child, afraid of the harsh reality of the world.

Axel pulled on his boots and his leather gloves before drawing out a rapier and a pistol from the drawer next to the door. He cocked the pistol and went out the room; Roxas followed closely behind.

The pair padded down the stairs and Axel could hear the clinking sounds of someone tinkering with the iron lock using a metal object, presumably a lock pick of sorts. Muffled voices echoed softly within the foyer and the red-haired man held his breath as several tense moments passed.

Quietly, Axel made his way over to the sitting room and shifted the curtains slightly to take a look outside. In front of the wooden door leading to his house were two men in black. They wore black top hats to hide their faces in the shadows, but the man could see that one of them had long black hair while the other appeared to have shoulder-length blue hair in the same shade as that of Zexion's. The corners of his lips curved downward and he wondered if Zexion had betrayed them to his relative.

"That's Xaldin and Saïx," whispered Roxas as he stood behind Axel. "Saïx is Xemnas's right hand man. Xaldin is Xemnas's friend from the war."

The two watched tensely as the two continued to tinker with the lock. The clock within the sitting room ticked loudly as the minutes passed by. At long last, the pair of men abandoned their attempt to open the lock and began walking past the curtained window where Axel and Roxas had been watching them. Roxas held onto Axel fearfully as the pair drew back to prevent the two henchmen from seeing them.

"Roxas," said Axel softly once the two intruders had disappeared around a corner out of sight. The younger man looked up at the older man with an "Hmm?"

"You can let go of my arm now."

The blond-haired teen blushed furiously and loosened his grip on the older man's arm. "Sorry," he muttered softly.

Axel took another glance out the curtained window and looked for movement. "We need to leave this place," he said solemnly, turning to look at Roxas. "I have a manor in Surrey; are you fine with the arrangements?"

The younger man nodded hesitantly before breathing a sigh of resignation; yet another move. He looked up to see the reassuring smile of the red-haired man.

"Riku and Sora will be informed of where we are of course.

Roxas smiled back at his "guardian". "Thank you."

Axel looked away, his smile falling as he planned for the move. He sheathed his saber and made his way towards the kitchen in the back of the house. The servant on duty had been stoking the kitchen fire when he entered the warm room.

"Milord," the girl greeted with wide-eyes. She took note of the pale faces of her lord and his strange guest behind him. "What can I do for you?"

"Mary, go wake Jonathan and Bartleby," he commanded. "Have Jonathan bring the carriage around to the back door. Tell Bartleby to come up to the sunroom."

"Yes, milord," the servant curtsied before rushing off to do her master's bidding.

"Do you think we can hide your statue in the carriage?" Axel asked as the two men traced their steps back to the foyer and up the carpeted stairs.

"If I'm short enough," muttered Roxas. The two men pushed open the double doors leading into the sunroom and Axel lit a candle on the table next to the door.

"Milord?" said Bartleby softly as he approached the two nobles in a rush. "You called for me?"

Axel gave a pained smile as he looked upon the elderly servant whose face was slightly flushed with exertion and was still wearing his sleeping clothes when he was summoned.

"I apologize for my sudden inquiry, Bartleby," he said with a slight frown.

"It is my duty, sir. No need for such apologies."

The red-haired man smiled. "All right then. I require your assistance in helping us carry this pedestal downstairs and load it onto the carriage. I trust Mary told you that Jonathan's been called up as well?"

"Aye, sir," replied the butler. "Will you be leaving?"

"Not tonight. I will be headed for Surrey tomorrow evening."

"I trust that I'm in charge of this place in your absence?"

"Of course."

The three men heaved the marble pedestal and slowly began moving it out of the sunroom before stopping at the top of the stairs.

"I'll go first," said Roxas. "I've worked with enough statues to handle the weight above my head."

"If you're sure, sir," said Bartleby. Axel shared the same sentiment as his servant, but trusting in the judgment of the young man, he watched solemnly as Roxas took two steps down the stairs before turning about to help them carry the pedestal.

Ever so slowly, the trio of men made their way down the creaking steps carrying the heavy load. Mary stood at the bottom of the stairs watching with concern.

Finally, they managed to bring the pedestal down onto the ground floor. With Mary's help in keeping doors open for them, the three men quickly heaved the block of rock through the kitchen and out the backdoor. The carriage driver turned to face them upon hearing the backdoor open and rushed over to lend them a hand.

"Open the door, Mary," Axel said gruffly and the maid held open the carriage door. With some difficulty, they finally managed to load the pedestal onto the carriage. Immediately afterwards, Roxas entered the carriage and stood tall upon the pedestal. He frowned slightly when he saw that one of his hair spikes would be sticking into the clothed wooden ceiling of the carriage.

"We should be fine," the red-haired man said. With a grim nod, Roxas stepped down from the carriage.

"Jonathan, return the carriage to the stables and keep the curtains shut. You and Bartleby can both go back to sleep. I'll explain the situation tomorrow after breakfast."

"Yes sir," the two men said with a bow before setting off to perform their tasks.

"Mary, let us return to the kitchen," said Axel.

"No," said Roxas. "You go back to sleep. I'll explain."

The servant girl looked from her lord to the strange man that challenged his authority. She caught herself staring at the handsome face of the young man and averted her eyes with a soft blush.

"Very well," replied Axel with a slight frown. "I shall return to bed." With that, the red-haired man began his way back to his bedroom while Roxas and Mary sat down in the kitchen by the fire and began a quiet conversation.

* * *

"What I'm about to say to you both is not to leave this room, understood?" said Axel sternly as he slumped down in his chair. The two men who helped him with Roxas's statue nodded grimly as they stood in front of their lord.

"The young man that you two met last night is Lord Roxas of Durham. Yes, Bartleby, he would be the brother of Lord Sora. Lord Roxas is indeed the statue that you have both seen in the sunroom. It is not by choice that he is a statue by day and normal by night."

"I trust that this Lord Xemnas had something to do with this, sir?" asked the butler. Axel nodded.

"By what means of sorcery I care not to know. However, if he come knocking after we leave, do not let him in."

"Understood, sir," the two men replied simultaneously.

"Might I inquire where you will be staying if someone besides Lord Xemnas does call upon you, milord?" asked Bartleby.

"Direct them to Surrey," replied the lord without thinking.

"Yes, sir."

"Jonathan, saddle my horse. I need to make two calls this afternoon."

"Yes, milord. What time shall I bring about the carriage?"

Axel looked at the clock. It was almost 11 o'clock.

"Bring it around after dinner." I have a feeling that Riku will wish to accompany me."

"Yes, sir."

"Dismissed."

The two men bowed and left the room. Axel stood up and looked out of the window down onto the busy street; the thoughts of Lord Xemnas's lackeys keeping an eye on his resident unsettled him greatly.

* * *

As Axel had predicted, Riku had accompanied him back to his London residence after he called upon him that afternoon. He had already sent a telegram to Sora earlier that morning and was dismayed upon hearing the news that Xemnas had attempted to break into Axel's home.

"How far is your Surrey home from here?"

"An hour at a leisurely pace," answered Axel as he poured himself a glass of brandy. "I could get there in twenty minutes at a full gallop though."

"I see," said Riku, looking out the orange tinted street

"When will Sora be in town?"

The silver-haired man looked up. "God willing, in two days."

"Ah," replied Axel as he moved over to the glass paned window. As he took a sip from his glass, a sudden movement in the shadows caught his eye. He frowned and narrowed his eyes. As he suspected, light blue under the setting sun coupled with the glint of golden eyes verified the presence of the man that Roxas had named to be Saïx just outside his residence.

"Riku," the man said quietly as he gestured with his head. His friend joined him at the window and frowned upon seeing the familiar man. The man who was being watched looked up and sneered at the pair.

"They know that we're watching," muttered Riku as he moved away from the window. "We need to change the plans for tonight."

"I could offer you my carriage for your return journey," said Axel. "I'll meet you guys at the clock tower before we go to Surrey."

"That might work," said Riku.

"My lords," announced Bartleby. "The chef wishes me to tell you that dinner is served. Shall I go tell Jonathan to get ready for the night's journey?"

"Yes, please. Tell him to bring my horse to the back. We must proceed with caution."

"Very well sir."

* * *

The dinner went by quickly in solemnity as the two men at the dinner table prepared for the execution of their escape. At eight, the dinner concluded and the two men waited for Axel's carriage driver to notify them that everything was ready.

"Sir," said Bartleby. Axel nodded in acknowledgement.

"Time to put on our show," grinned Riku. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," replied Axel with a thumb's up.

The butler opened the door and the two men jovially exited the house. The pair shared a couple of parting words before the carriage went on its way "toward" Riku's house.

Axel watched it disappear behind a corner before returning to his own home. He hurried toward the back of the house and found a servant boy holding onto the reins of his saddled horse.

"Thanks," the man said as he mounted the steed. He tossed a small bag worth about one Pound to the wide-eyed boy. "Buy some good food for your family. Say 'hi' to your grandfather for me."

"Thank you, milord!"

Axel grinned and, with a "hyah!", steered his mount toward the open street.

"Safe journeys!"

As the red-haired man rode through the streets of London, he kept an eye out for Xemnas's men, only breathing a sigh of relief upon seeing his carriage in front of the large clock tower. Riku smiled happily at the man as Axel approached him.

"I hope all was well, my friend."

"No one followed," replied Riku. "Do you want to ride in the carriage? I'll take the horse."

"If you don't mind," said Axel.

Riku gave a light laugh. "The night air does wonders to one's nerve. Besides, I know you wish to accompany Roxas."

Axel's face blushed lightly as his silver-haired friend laughed at his chagrin. "I could say the same about you and Sora," he replied in jest.

Riku's face flushed crimson and it was Axel's turn to chuckle at his embarrassed friend.

"Let's get going," the man muttered.

"Alright, alright." Axel boarded the carriage and they quickly resumed their journey.

As they journeyed further into the countryside, houses and buildings gave way to trees and open fields. The cobbled road turned into dirt road as they passed out of the gates of greater London. The moon shone brightly above them and Axel opened the curtains to allow the moon shine in.

When they strode into Surrey village, the clock had just finished chiming the ninth hour of the night. They passed the village and the Ashby manor came into view just as the transformation began.

Roxas took a gasp of breath and smiled when Axel steadied him. The pair of men looked out the window as the carriage came to a stop. A large mansion with several lit windows stood in front of them. The wooden front doors were opened as the butler and head maid stood anticipating their arrival.

"Welcome to my Surrey residence," grinned Axel.

* * *

_Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts does not belong to me. No suing, please._

_A/N: I almost didn't manage to get this chapter done in the four days I allotted myself between each updates. Maybe it's because there's so much to write… But at the same time, I didn't want to add a filler-style chapter, so I ended up having to making this chapter longer. The next chapter will probably be equally as long, if not longer, haha._

_To Reviewers of Chapter 4:_

_-cide: I wish I could have a life-size statue of Roxas too. Though I wouldn't really be able to hug it to death if it's made out of stone; it'd be too hard. Not to mention I wouldn't be able to mess with his hair. (sadface)_

_Mamimisan: Hmm, I guess you're right about them not really in character. It's just difficult to keep them in character when there's so much decorum in 19__th__ century speech. In any case, I guess I didn't explain it well enough, but yes, Roxas can only roam free every night. Right now, I have it so that he becomes human at 9 PM and then turn back into a statue when the sun rises. (So it's kind of similar to free calls after 9 PM on my cell phone…) Hope that explains everything._


	6. The Break

**Chapter 6 – The Break**

* * *

Roxas marveled at the grand hall with awe. The grand crystal chandelier casted rainbow lights on the red carpet, obsidian floor, ivory guardrails, a gold framed mirror, and a grandfather clock made of oak.

"This is probably the most decorated mansion out of the three places that my family owns," Axel admitted with a laugh.

"You do hold quite a few parties here," grinned Riku.

"That's true."

The two older men watched as Roxas continued to spin around looking at the sparkles much like a child in awe.

"Shall I have a maid show you your room, Riku? You look tired," said Axel.

"That would be wonderful. I do plan on returning to town tomorrow and perhaps let the others know of the situation."

"Alright." The lord of Dover gestured to a servant who stood ready behind him. She nodded with a pleasant smile.

"Follow me, sir," she said and led Riku up the grand staircase to second floor.

"This tastefully decorated," remarked Roxas upon snapping out of his trance.

Axel chuckled. "Zexion redid the design after the first time he was here. Before then, this place had been disgustingly overdone."

"Your friend must be a brilliant man," said Roxas.

"Maybe that's why he's the royal advisor."

Roxas raised an eyebrow. "That young?"

"Shocking, isn't it?" he laughed. "Come, I want to show you the garden."

"This late?" questioned his young friend.

"Better now then later," smiled Axel as he led the way toward the back garden.

Under the pale moonlight, the pair traversed through the well-kept garden path, rose bushes lined the path on either side. As they ventured further in, fireflies dotted the air, illuminating the various other flowers that decorated the garden: lilacs, marigolds, gardenias, freesias, zinnias, and various other flowers that Axel never bothered to know about.

"It smells very refreshing," commented Roxas as the pair ended up near a trickling fountain in the center of the garden.

"So it does," said Axel, sitting down on a stone bench. He looked about him with sad eyes. "I never bothered to check this place out."

"Never stayed here long enough?" asked the blond-haired teen.

Axel laughed softly. "You would be correct on that assumption. I never felt the need to stay here. I have a residence in London, much closer to the town than here. If I desired peace and quiet, I always returned home in Dover. Sometimes I wondered why my family decided to have a mansion in Surrey."

"Like Riku said, to hold grand parties," replied Roxas with a soft smile.

This time, Axel laughed loudly. "I guess he was right."

The two shared a soft comfortable silence sitting on that bench. Axel stood up and stretched.

"I shall head to bed. Do you wish for Kairi and Naminé to come here tomorrow night?" he asked the still sitting teen.

"It would be nice," replied Roxas.

"Then it shall be done."

"Good night, Axel."

"Good night, Roxas."

* * *

Over the next week, the two men lived in peace at the Ashby Manor in Surrey. Sora had arrived within two days of their own arrival at Surrey and stayed for a night before he left for town. Kairi and Naminé came to visit twice during that week and Demyx dared a visit as well. Zexion never came as he was occupied at the palace.

Every night, Axel and Roxas walked through the moonlit garden talking about the politics, arts, family, everything they could think of.

And every night, the two would part under the high moon with Axel leaving for sleep.

This night, it was different.

It had been nearly six days since they had made their escape to Surrey and Axel was slightly anxious about Bartleby and his household in town. With the anxiety came the inability to sleep and at three-thirty in the morning, Axel got out of bed, put on a coat and went to where he had put Roxas's pedestal.

He opened the door lightly to see the French doors to the balcony open. Through the doors he could see Roxas leaning against the stone railings of the balcony staring into the distance. A swift breeze swept across the balcony and ruffled his soft hair.

"You know, I've never seen you before you turn back," he said as he joined the silent teen at the balcony.

Roxas raised an eyebrow at his companion.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"Can't," replied Axel with a grin. "Too much on my mind."

"Ah, I see. I've had my shared of those."

Silence fell upon the two as each man sorted through their turbulent thoughts. Roxas was the one to break the tense silence.

"Do you…" he said softly. "Do you think I'll break free of this curse?" He looked up at the taller man with slight despair.

"I hope so," answered Axel, equally softly. "I'm sure Zexion'll find a way," he added strongly.

"But-"

"Don't make me get Kairi to knock some sense into you tomorrow," said Axel sternly, yet Roxas could see the teasing sparkle within the green eyes.

Axel smiled as he saw the tension on Roxas's shoulder fade away with the laughter.

"What will you do once this is all over?" he asked with a hum, turning his face to look toward the east.

"I don't know," replied Roxas. "Maybe go back to York, finish my apprenticeship."

"Oh," said Axel with a frown. He had hoped that Roxas would stay.

"And you?"

"Probably take my bar exam and head home to take care of my parents before they pass."

"Ah."

Roxas hummed as another silence fell upon them.

"You know," he started.

"No, I don't," replied Axel, startling the younger man. With seriousness, he turned to face Roxas.

"I want you to stay with me," he said with all sincerity. Roxas's eyes widened with surprise.

"I… I don't know," he replied with a whisper.

"I like you, Roxas," said Axel. "I really do. Your presence here has made my life much more interesting. I've been searching for so long and I think I understand now."

"Understand what?"

"Why it's so difficult to love someone," Axel smiled sardonically. "The thought of spending your time with one other person for the rest of your life is rather daunting. But, I think I'm ready for this."

"I don't know if I can love," said Roxas softly.

"I will wait until you can love again." Roxas looked up at the taller man with widened eyes.

"Even if it means decades?"

Axel chuckled. "I doubt you'll take that long to find your heart. I'm not Xemnas, and I never will be. What he did is inexcusable. So, please, give me a chance?"

Roxas closed his eyes and sucked in a trembling breath.

"My mind's saying that I shouldn't become too trustful. But my heart says otherwise. And I do feel a strange sensation whenever I'm with you. It feels rather pleasant, to say the least."

"Well, if you decide to go to York, I shall go with you."

"You will?"

"You need someone to take care of you, after all."

Roxas blushed. "I'm not a child, Axel."

"You're only a teen, Roxas."

"I can take care of myself," replied the blond petulantly.

The two men watched as the horizon glowed orange.

"The sunrise is always beautiful," said Roxas nostalgically.

"I'll bring everyone over tonight," said Axel. "It's high time that we deserve a small party to release some of the tension, don't you think?"

Roxas nodded.

Axel wrapped an arm around the younger man and Roxas leaned into the embrace as the sun slowly rose up in the distant horizon.

"Thank you, Axel," said Roxas as sunlight began to fall onto his face.

"I love you, Roxas," said Axel with a smile.

"I… I think I do too," said Roxas as the sun fully rose. Axel watched with sadness as the boy disappeared in a flash of light. The red-haired man turned and smiled painfully at the statue that stood in the middle of the room, solitary and every so alone.

* * *

When Axel rode into town that day, he bumped into Zexion and Demyx on the road to his house and later on, Naminé and Kairi. Each of them had been strangely summoned to the Ashby residence in London by an unknown letter.

Upon reaching the townhouse, Axel could see the mounts of Riku and Sora.

"You're here too?" said Axel with surprise.

"Something strange is happening," said Riku with a slight frown. Sora had approached the front door and pushed the unlocked door open.

"Axel!" shouted Sora from the doorway as he laid his eyes upon two still figures on the polished floor of Axel's London residence.

The red-haired man rushed up the steps and entered the foyer to an alarming scene. He hurried to Bartleby's side and gingerly lifted the man up.

"Bartleby, Bartleby!" he said urgently. The old butler groaned and opened his eyes. "Old friend, what happened?"

"That man. Lord Xemnas," replied the butler while wincing in pain. "He came searching for Lord Roxas."

Axel stilled upon hearing the information. "What did he do?"

"I do not know what sorcery he used. But both Mary and I heard this awful screeching in our ears after we refused to allow him in. Is Mary alright?"

"She is fine," replied the master softly upon seeing Zexion nod his head. "Does he know where Roxas is?"

"I'm sorry, my lord," the old man said apologetically. "He swept in and headed straight for the sunroom. When he didn't find the statue there, we heard another screeching and he swept out of the house in a fury. He had a smile on his face before he left; he must've known."

Immediately, Sora left the house to leave for Surrey while Naminé took over Axel's place next to the poor servant.

"Go to him, Axel," said Kairi. "Naminé and I can take care of things here."

"Take my horse," said Riku. "I will follow with Zexion and Demyx."

The red-haired man nodded grimly and mounted Riku's trusty steed.

"Let's go," said Sora and Axel whipped the horse into a galloping frenzy with his brown-haired companion following close behind.

The pair galloped through the thoroughfares of town while the carriage that carried Riku, Zexion, and Demyx followed with a clangor as the wheels moved across the cobbled streets. Soon, they found themselves out of the main town and onto the dirt path through the village of Surrey toward the Ashby manor.

Not far behind, Demyx look out the window worriedly as they neared the manor.

"Do you think Roxas will be alright?" he asked softly.

"I don't know, love," said Zexion as he held Demyx's hands for comfort. "I do not know."

After fifteen minutes at full gallop, the group of men finally arrived at Ashby manor. The front doors leading into the main house was wide open and Axel knew that Xemnas was there. He hurried toward the conservatory, praying that he wasn't too late.

* * *

Roxas knew that he was in trouble when he "saw" the man of his nightmares entered the room alone. The sinister smile upon the man's face caused the trapped boy to panic. He wished for Axel to be with him right now and wondered where the redhead was.

"I know you can hear me, Roxas." The man looked up at the still marble face. He lifted a hand and laid it upon the smooth cold cheek of the boy. Roxas "scowled" internally, detesting the contact of the man's skin upon his stony one. He felt dirtied by the mere touch.

"Don't you wish you had accepted my offer? You could have been living in luxury instead of sitting in an empty room collecting dust by day and whispering to the darkness by night." Xemnas's voice dripped with poisoned honey.

"I know that you like the redhead," the man whispered into his ear. Roxas "froze" at the mention of Axel. "And I know he likes you too." The man pulled back with a sinister smirk.

"But, I can't let him have you. You belong to me and me only." The man had an insane gleam in his eyes and Roxas wanted to scream for help as the man pulled out a pistol from underneath his coat.

"And this is why," the man pointed the pistol at the boy's chest, "I will kill you. If I can't have you," he cocked the gun, "then no one can."

A gunshot rang out.

* * *

"No!" Axel screamed as he reached to stop the man from shooting the statue, but it was too late.

Light flashed with a shrill scream as Roxas appeared beside the broken statue with blood staining his white shirt and navy blue jacket.

"Axel…" he said weakly as his eyes lay upon the red-haired man. Axel rushed over and caught the injured boy as he began to collapse.

"You bastard!" screamed Sora as he pointed his own gun at the deranged man and pulled the trigger, silencing the maniacal laughter. Xemnas looked down at his own chest with wide eyes and gurgled before falling dead onto the ground; blood dripped from his open mouth as the liquid filled his lungs and suffocated him. Sora shot the crazed man two more times for good measure and would have shot him more times if it hadn't been for Riku.

"Someone, get a doctor here!" screamed Axel. A servant boy nodded with a gulp and ran off to retrieve the village doctor.

The Lord of Dover watched with horror as the boy who lay in his lap continued to bleed profusely. He took in gasps of air, but the oxygen didn't seem to reach his lungs.

"Roxas…" uttered Sora with tears in his eyes. He looked away to seek comfort in Riku as his brother lay dying in Axel's arms.

"You're going to be alright," said Axel, his voice cracking. "You're going to be alright."

"Axel," gasped Roxas.

"Shhh, don't say another word," cooed the man with tears blurring his vision. He wiped them away angrily.

"Please," said Roxas softly. "Axel, I'm glad to have met you. I just wished…that…we could've met under better conditions."

"Save your breath, the doctor's coming," the man said despairingly.

Roxas slowly shook his head. "Before I go, I just wish that…I could get my first kiss." He smiled weakly as the statue beside him began to crack. "Will you do that for me?"

"Of course, Roxas. Of course," the man replied with a nod and leaned down to place a chaste kiss on the boy's lips. He closed his eyes as Roxas leaned upward to further the kiss and Axel continued the kiss, parting his own lips to taste the dying boy under him.

Mingled with his tears, Roxas tasted like salt, mint, and cinnamon. Axel felt like crying his heart out for his love that he was losing to the reaper. When he pulled away and opened his eyes, the sight was despairing.

A light blush was on Roxas's smiling face as he was slowly turning back into stone. He raised a trembling hand and laid it upon Axel's face.

"I love you, always. I will wait for you in heaven, my love," he said with his last breath before he was turned back into the cursed marble and turned into dust just as the statue crumbled into jagged pieces of rock.

"No! Roxas!" cried Axel, grabbing at the dust that slipped through his fingers. The dust swirled up in a mysterious cyclone as light shone down coldly.

Beside him, a large crack sounded as the body of the cursed man suddenly caught on fire. The flames grew high and sucked all the moisture in the air as it continued to flare. The plants withered in its presence and soon, the fire had spread.

"Axel, we have to go!" shouted Riku as he and Sora stared gaping at the unnatural flame.

"Axel," said Zexion as he laid a hand on Axel's arm. The teary-eyed man looked up at his friend. "Let him go. We have to leave."

Axel took another glance at the cracking pedestal where Roxas's statue once stood and allowed himself to be pulled away by Zexion and Demyx from the burning room as servants brought up water buckets to attempt to douse the water.

"The fire is unnatural," declared Riku when the flames continued to rage in spite of the water. "Everyone needs to get out of the house, now."

"Yes, sir," replied the caretaker of the manor and the head maid. Riku closed his eyes and swallowed down a lump of regret before following everyone out of the fiery inferno.

Outside, Axel stared hopelessly as the fire spread through the Ashby Manor at Surrey, consuming the wood and stone. His knees grew weak and he knelt on the gravel road in a slump of despair. He screamed loudly, letting out all the sadness and anger that he felt at that exact moment. With the end of his shout, he collapsed onto the ground sobbing for Roxas. Demyx shared his pain and knelt down to comfort his dear friend while the others looked for comfort in their own ways.

The unfortunate boy who had captured the red-haired man's heart was gone forever.

* * *

_Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts does not belong to me. No suing, please._

_A/N: I know, I'm terrible. I killed Roxas. I felt that this chapter was a bit rushed. So if some of the things seem awkward, I apologize. Anyways, there is one last chapter before this fanfic is complete, so don't be too sad yet! In any case, I've finished the first chapter of _The Intrigues of Sora Kazano_, so look forward to that sometimes this week. Hope you've enjoyed this chapter and the final chapter will be posted on July 31._

_To Reviewer of Chapter 5:_

_Kikyo Uchiha: Rofl, I never thought of it that way. I guess my A/N was more punny than I originally thought. (wink). Or maybe I'm just boggling my mind due to sleepiness right now, haha._


	7. The Return

_Dedications: This last chapter of _Marble Doll _is dedicated to all the wonderful people who reviewed, both registered and anonymous._

_Thanks to Chiyon Shi, Zheyne, TheFallenOnes, grapedragon, Kikyo Uchiha, -cide, mamimisan, and Triptic. This chapter is for you._

* * *

**Chapter 7 – The Return**

* * *

Axel leaned back in his chair with a sigh. Books and documents laid strewn out on the mahogany desk in his study: books on the court of law, documents of historical cases, and manuscripts of historical legal documents.

Yet, as hard as he tried to immerse himself in the subject of law and order, he could not focus his mind on the words that was laid out in front of him. All he could think of was the smiling face of a blond-haired boy as the two shared their fears under the moonlit night.

Although he had only met the boy a week truly, Axel felt like he could talk freely with Roxas. It hadn't been long after their first meeting that he knew he had fallen in love.

The thoughts brought tears to his eyes as the memory of his love dying in his arms came unbidden to his mind. He absent-mindedly pulled out a light blue handkerchief from his coat pocket and was startled to see the embroidery on the piece of cloth.

Stitched in gold thread were the elegant letters "RTL". Axel traced the letters as he recalled the night that he received the gift. It was the only gift that the boy had given him before his unexpected death. On the night, or early morning, the two of them had confessed their love to each other under the rising sun just before Roxas turned back into a statue.

The man brought the handkerchief up to his face and breathed in the lingering scent of his beloved. Mint, tea, and a hint of cinnamon came to his senses and he smiled at the memory of finding out Roxas loved tea.

With another sigh, this time of melancholy, Axel folded the handkerchief carefully and replaced it in his pocket. He wiped his eyes with his coat sleeve before returning to his studies.

He had no idea that he would meet a most important person that evening.

* * *

Somehow, Riku had convinced his friend to attend a gala hosted by the Corby sisters and their Londoner cousins. At six, Riku had arrived promptly with his carriage and the pair went on their way to the party.

"Just exactly how many people are going to be at this party?" asked Axel as the carriage took them out of London town and into the countryside.

"All of London's nobility have been invited. You know perfectly well as I do that Kairi and Naminé are social butterflies," grinned his silver-haired friend.

Axel sighed. "How did I get coerced into attending this thing again?" He looked out at the passing scenery with a frown.

"We can't have you staying in your study the entire time," replied Riku with a soft smile. Axel didn't reply.

"Look, Axel," the teen said, his tone more grim now, "I know you're hurting just as we are, maybe even more. But Roxas wouldn't want you to mourn for him forever and waste your life."

Axel snapped his head around to face the teen and glared. "Why do you think I've been studying for? I'm making something out of my life."

"You're not letting him go," replied Riku softly. "I think you're only using your studies as a way to stop thinking about him. You're not really learning what you're studying."

Axel had no response for that, so he turned his face back toward the passing scenery.

Silence hung over the pair like thick fog for the rest of the journey.

* * *

The ball room was already filled with laughter and conversation by the time the two had arrived. The stood at the top of the stairs waiting for their names to be announced before they joined the many aristocrats that had mingled on the floor.

Axel and Riku's seats were placed that the table closest to the table of the hosts. At their table also sat the Danish countess who chatted animatedly with Naminé. Countess Jessica had arrived not a day after Roxas's death and had become rather protective of her younger friend, helping her through the most difficult times of her young life. Lord Leon was also in attendance, having returned from Bristol to town after his father had recovered from his bout of pneumonia. His fiancée, Lady Rinoa of Whitchurch was also in attendance but she was on the floor speaking with many other ladies. Although Axel knew Leon well and had known that the man was a lawyer, his forlorn mood kept him from approaching the battle-scarred man about the bar exam.

Next to Leon sat Sir Cloud and Lady Tifa of Swindon. While Axel didn't know either of the two personally, they spoke amiably to their neighbors, Leon and Lady Aerith of Newmarket respectively. Axel recalled that Lady Aerith had become one of the most prestigious politicians in the England Women's parliament and had apparently managed to convince the King and the House of Lords to reconsider the law for women inheritance amongst the commoners. To that end, the red-haired man admired the brave lady greatly.

His eyes scanned the floor as he stirred his drink with boredom. Zexion and Demyx were dancing with other dances to a waltz played by a chamber orchestra. But as far as Axel was concerned, nothing garnered his melancholic attention.

As joviality continued around him, Axel felt that could not partake in the cheer and company. He still mourned for his lost love and scowled at the laughter that assaulted him from all fronts. He stood up to leave.

Riku grabbed his wrist to stay him but Axel would not be dissuaded. "I'm just going to go to the garden to get some air," he said. Riku nodded with understanding and released the man before watching him leave.

Just as he left, a servant approached Riku and Kairi who sat next to him.

"Milady, your honored guests are here," she reported.

"Finally," the red-haired lady laughed. She stood up with Riku and the pair made their way to the steps.

Axel slowly made his way through the throng of nobles toward the open doors that led to the open garden. He passed through them and took in a deep breath of the cold England air. He felt his spirits lighten and was about to take another step away from the mansion when his ears picked up a name amidst the din of voices.

"Lord Sora Linden of Durham."

The red-haired man turned quickly and reentered the room to see a familiar brown-haired teen standing at the top of the stairs smiling cheerfully at those who paid attention to him.

"And…" Axel's breath caught in his throat. What was with this "and" and why was he letting it affect him?

"Lord Roxas Linden of Durham."

The boy with the name stepped into view and before the red-haired man knew it, he was making his way across the crowded room to reach the bottom of the stairs where everyone who was involved in the incident had gathered.

Roxas laughed and greeted his friends as Axel continued to push through the crowd. His eyes were slightly saddened by the absence of his love but widened with recognition upon laying them on the handsome face of the Lord of Dover. Axel embraced the boy tightly and caught the boy by surprise with a passionate kiss.

The red-haired man could feel the boy melt under the kiss as he responded eagerly to the passion that Axel was placing in the kiss. The longing and love exchanged between the two reunited lovers and soft laughter met their ears as their friends smiled at the scene.

"I was beginning to lose hope," said Axel with a frown. Roxas laughed.

"So I heard from Riku. I've missed you so."

"Me too."

Axel released the boy from his embrace and knelt down. "Roxas, will you marry me?"

The teen's eyes widened with surprise and both he and Axel looked at Sora. "That is, if you would permit it," the man added.

Sora laughed. "It is your life, dear brother. I am no keeper of yours."

Roxas smiled happily and the two lovers faced one another again. "Yes!" he exclaimed before latching himself onto kneeling red-haired man. Around them, their friends applauded and cheered at the reunion of two lovers brought together by strange fate. And as the two shared another kiss, Axel knew that Roxas was the one for him.

* * *

"So how did you come back?" asked Axel as the two lovers basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking. The younger man traced circles upon the defined chest of the older man before laying his head upon the warm body.

"I guess I could be freed only with a kiss," smiled Roxas.

"Though Sora killing Xemnas might've sealed the deal, right?" grinned Axel.

The spiky-haired head bobbed up and down as the teen nodded.

"Where did you end up when you came back?"

"Haxby," said his lover softly. Axel frowned slightly and hugged the teen's head, running a hand through the soft hair.

"There was no one left at that place though," continued the young man. "Maybe they were all conjured up by Xemnas."

"I wouldn't doubt it," muttered Axel.

"I was lucky that the village was still there. A friendly farmer gave me a ride to York since he was also headed in that direct as well. He was rather surprised when I came out of the Haxby manor, said that that place had been deserted for nearly a year." Roxas laughed softly.

"I returned to York and somehow managed to bump into Sir Ansem," Roxas lifted his head. "You know him, right?"

"Yes. He was my mentor for the bar exam," grinned Axel.

"He knew about my predicament and was more shocked than I was when he saw me. I think his heart nearly stopped when he saw me," laughed Roxas.

Axel laughed with his love. "I hope Lord Cid was with him."

"Of course. I doubt Lord Cid would let his uncle out of his sight when they're not in Oxford. He nearly spouted out a string of profanities that would've made even _you_ blush, my dear." Roxas looked up at Axel's face with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"I'm not that obscene," argued Axel. His lover only smiled at that response.

Axel huffed. "Continuing on?"

Roxas chortled softly. "Sir Ansem and Lord Cid helped me obtain a passage to Linden Court, and my brother was equally as shocked to see me. He knew that I was eager to leave for town but managed to convince me to stay awhile while we set up a surprise for you."

"So that's why Riku was so insistent that I went to that party," smiled the red-haired man.

"So a fortnight later, the party was held and the rest is, as they say, history." Roxas moved upward and shared a brief kiss with the taller man.

"I wonder how my parents are going to take the news that their only son is going to wed another man," said Axel softly as Roxas nestled his head into the crook of his lover's neck.

"I'm sure they'll understand," muttered Roxas as he closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

Axel smiled and pulled Roxas closer to him. "I'm sure you're right."

* * *

Four months later, the church bells tolled as a pair of newlyweds exited the church amidst confetti, cheers, applauses, and friends and families. Next to Axel's own aging parents stood Sora and Riku, each wearing their own wedding bands that they had exchanged only a month prior. The two grooms rushed down the steps of the cathedral and stopped in front of their white carriage to wave at the crowd.

Axel scanned the faces of the wedding attendees and smiled at the happy faces of his friends and his parents, who had finally accepted his decision to wed another man. He and Roxas shared a quick kiss before he followed the younger man onto the carriage that would bear them away toward Liverpool where they would board a ship to Ireland to spend their honeymoon.

"My lord Axel, do you regret your decision?" grinned Roxas in jest.

"I found my true love, what is there to regret about?" replied Axel as he brought Roxas's hand up to kiss it.

"Oh, so I'm the girl in this relationship, eh?" Roxas raised an eyebrow.

"You are shorter," replied Axel with a grin.

"We shall see who is better in bed tonight, my dear," replied the younger man with a sly smirk.

"I look forward to the challenge, my love."

The two shared another kiss as the carriage continued on its merry way on the dirt path northward.

* * *

In the years to come, the two would have a wonderful story to share with their heirs. Although the children might eventually believe that such a thing could not have actually happened, the people who helped Roxas during his time of hardship would know that regardless of other people's beliefs, the story did happen.

And that's all that matters.

* * *

_Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts does not belong to me. No suing, please._

_A/N: Thus ends _Marble Doll_. I must admit that I really enjoyed writing this one, especially since there aren't a lot of fanfics anywhere that have English/Victorian settings. Maybe I'll end up exploiting that more often. Haha. Thanks for all the reviews and support. I will be returning to focus my time more on _The Intrigues of Sora Kazano_ and other fanfics now. I hope you will read my other works too. Till then, this is Tsukisamu Sayako, signing off._

_To Reviewers of Chapter 6:_

_Triptic: I know I was mean. But they got a happy ending! Besides, there's always gotta be some ups and downs to a relationship. I will admit that death is a bit too down though, haha._

_TheFallenOne: I was hoping that it was sad enough, hehe. Anyways, thanks for waiting and hope you enjoyed the last chapter_

_Kikyo Uchiha: Hooray. Much thanks for your support._


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